Wayne Berry navigates the crosswalk at Sixth Street in downtown Steamboat Springs in January. Last summer, the Colorado Department of Transportation used more expensive thermoplastic markings for the crosswalks instead of traditional paint. The markings quickly deteriorated and have been removed by the city.

New crosswalks on the way

Lincoln Avenue renovations to include colored concrete markings

Steamboat Springs  Steamboat Springs is slated to get new crosswalks along with the future repaving of Lincoln Avenue, which would render thermoplastic a thing of the past downtown.

The Colorado Department of Transportation and the city of Steamboat Springs are teaming up to pay for the U.S. Highway 40 upgrades. Those include replacing asphalt with concrete on Lincoln Avenue, CDOT regional spokeswoman Nancy Shanks said. The crosswalks will be laid in a reddish concrete on Third through 13th streets, Public Works Director Philo Shelton said.

"The idea with the color incorporated, it will not peel up," Shelton said. "It should last the years of the pavement life, which is a 30-year life."

The thermoplastic has caused consternation for some Steamboat residents. The substance adheres to the asphalt and was meant to be more durable, Shanks said last fall. It also costs five to 10 times as much as paint, she said at the time.

Snowplows have scraped some of the plastic off, however, causing concerns about litter and pedestrian safety. Shanks said Wednesday that CDOT crews had not been working on the crosswalks.

"We might keep them refreshed until we get concrete in," she said.

Shelton said city crews had been clearing litter but weren't taking any other action on the crosswalks. CDOT handles maintenance on U.S. 40 and part of the adjoining side streets.

"If anything, my crew was just picking up something loose on the road and nothing more," he said. "We're not peeling off anything."

The Lincoln Avenue work is scheduled for 2009 and 2010. The city will be prepared to go out to bid on the project after final reviews in early April.

The red color will replace those crosswalks, Shelton said. It will include a score pattern that shows where pedestrians should walk. Some Denver streets feature that concrete, he said.

"Our solution in the end is going to be really good," Shelton said. "I just assure people we have a good long-term solution coming - just be patient."

"Shelton said city crews had been clearing litter but weren't taking any other action on the crosswalks. CDOT handles maintenance on U.S. 40 and part of the adjoining side streets.

"If anything, my crew was just picking up something loose on the road and nothing more," he said. "We're not peeling off anything.""

I personally saw them. The city crews (they were in Steamboat City pickup trucks)were down at Fifth Street two days last week with a gasoline powered grinder and sidewalk ice chippers scraping up the remnants thermoplastic.